Grow the OpenStreetMap community and extend the network with open source tools for editing, managing tasks, and serving fast data.
2. Is anyone doing something like this now and how is your project different? [30 words]No. Existing editors and task managers are designed for technical users, not average citizens. To empower new, local contributors and expand open data, we need tools with better, intuitive experience.
3. Describe the network with which you intend to build or work. [50 words]We are already engaging our existing network of OpenStreetMap contributors, the OpenStreetMap Foundation, the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap team, newspapers that are using open data to make maps like the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and NPR as well as open source communities like Node.js and former Knight News Challenge winner TileMill.
4. Why will it work? [100 words]Knowledge is local and personal. Citizens make maps of their localities with greater detail and focus than any company ever could. New, easy to use tools will encourage more people to become contributors, and for contributors to curate their data together, as a networked community in the open.
In many ways this community growth is already proven. OpenStreetMap is experiencing a major influx of users of varying skill sets. But the current platform has a steep learning curve, so there’s a lot of energy amongst contributors that could be tapped by providing better tools to report, edit and consume data.
5. Who is working on it? [100 words]Development Seed. This is the same open source team behind past successful Knight projects like TileMill, an interactive map design studio extensively used in the media industry. Our team members have been OpenStreetMap contributors for years, from helping start Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, doing the largest OpenStreetMap import in Africa, to writing the core map renderer for openstreetmap.org. Particularly with its open source products TileMill, Managing News and Open Atrium, Development Seed has shown its ability to create beautiful tools that solve complex problems while working well with open source communities like Drupal and Node.js.
6. What part of the project have you already built? [100 words]The key parts of this project do not exist yet, but, we already are working with the OpenStreetMap community, talking with the founder Steve Coast, and finding where technology is limiting the community. Our experience building the open source map design studio TileMill and our work with the larger ecosystem of open-source geo tools will inform our development. We’ve developed other components these projects will rely on, like data APIs, and have started to collaborate with OpenStreetMap core developers on necessary changes to the web site and services. Our team also has experience with actually editing and contributing to OpenStreetMap.
7. How would you sustain the project after the funding expires? [50 words]DevelopmentSeed will invest significant resources in both the initial project and to sustain the work for two years post launch. Combining funding worked with both TileMill and Managing News and shows how the Knight Foundation sparks innovation by funding hard problems and open source business models create long term sustainability.
Requested amount from Knight News Challenge: $575,000Expected amount of time required to complete project: 8 months
Total Project Cost: $910,000 Name: Eric Gundersen
Twitter: @developmentseed
Organization: Development Seed
Country: United States
